Sashimani Devi, the last surviving Devdasi of the Shree Jagannath Temple here, who was bedridden due old age-related ailments, died at her residence in the house of one of her admirers at Dolamandap Sahi, a stone’s throw from the 12th-century temple on Thursday. She was 89.
Many of her followers and students paid floral tributes to her. Her body was taken in a procession to the Swargadwar burning ghat and last rites were observed. Despite her deteriorating health, Sashimani Devi was fasting for the wellbeing of lord Jagannath on the occasion of Sabitri Brata.
Considered as the human wife of lord Jagannath and having married the lord at a tender age of seven, Sashimani has since been living a life of a celibate. But like married women, she too wore new clothes and bangles and sported vermilion on the fasting day.
“lord Jagannath is my husband. It is quite natural to pray for the long life of my husband, who is lord Jagannath himself,” Sashimani used to say.
“Goddess Mahalakshmi is the divine consort of lord Jagannath, but I am the only living human wife of the lord,” Sashimani maintained. “I did not marry anyone because I was married to Jagannath,” she said. Sashimani had broken her ankles after being attacked by a bull two years ago,” said Mahari dancer Rupashree Mahapatra, who learnt some Devdasi dance steps from her.
Sashimani had stopped dancing in the temple when she was nearly 40. Sources said around 20 Devdasis used to dance in the temple in the 1920s. By the 1980s, however, only four Devdasis, including Sashimani, were left at Puri. Characteristic to the Devdasi tradition, they danced in front of the deities during various rituals. The practice faced extinction apparently in the 1970s due to certain technical reasons.